These Chains That Bond Us
by xlamentx
Summary: [Yaoi][AU] Riku's feelings about Sora are still unknown to all his friends. Because of this, he shows no special treatment to the boy, but is willing to do anything to see a smile on Sora's face... even if it means breaking his own heart.
1. Eclipse of a Familiar Land

Kingdom Hearts 2  
These Chains That Bond Us  
- Lament

* * *

Well, it's finally up - Chapter One of These Chains. It's a pretty long chapter, because that's just how I happen to write (sorry). Hopefully this'll sustain you until I finish chapter two, y'know? (hahaha, Rai. xD) 

Uhm... Oh yeah.

**Chapt. 1 summary**: YaoiAU Takes place after KH2 (no spoilers).  
Riku's feelings for Sora are still unknown to all his friends. Because of this, he shows no special treatment towards the boy, but is willing to do anything to see a smile on his best friend's face. While relaxing on the beach, Riku's gut tells him that something's up, that something's coming... But what?

**Disclaimer**: Kingdom Hearts/2 is the property of Disney and Square Enix (and Buena Vista Games).

* * *

- Chapter One: Eclipse of A Familiar Land - 

Stepping lightly across the soft, loose beach sand, a certain 15-year-old boy crept off, hoping only to be able to avoid--

"Sora! There you are! Where have you been?" A cry broke the calm, and caused said Sora to jump. Kairi appeared at the doorway of the Seaside Shack, basically a dry passage from the beach to the stray island where Sora and his best friend Riku used to duel. The girl waved and made her way quickly across the sands towards Sora. Seeing no escape, the boy sighed before turning to her, a friendly smile on his face.

"Oh, hey there Kairi. I was just on my way to… Uh..." He paused. "…See Tidus, that's right," Sora immediately replied, as soon as the excuse occurred in his mind. Pouting, Kairi put her hands on her hips and stared at her friend.

"Sora… You know very well that you were supposed to be meeting up with me today. We were going to go collect supplies together, while Riku was working on the raft, remember?"

"That was today..?" Sora sarcastically questioned. He knew very well that he was supposed to do that. But frankly, he could care less - the boy only wanted to relax today. "Sorry about that Kairi, guess I forgot." He feigned innocence. Kairi crossed her arms, a suspicious look in her eyes. "Hey, what d'ya say to me going to see Tidus really quick, then I'll come back with some supplies, how's that sound?" Sora couldn't wait for the girl to give in, just to get her off his back. Sighing, Kairi relaxed and looked sympathetically at Sora.

"Alright Sora. But you had better get back with at least something!" She exclaimed, as she ran off to the nearby springs for water. Sora watched the red hair and pink dress dash behind the Seaside Shack, then promptly ran off in the opposite direction. He knew Tidus wouldn't care if he came to bother the other boy.

Signature black and yellow shoes jumped up a ladder, and a many belted matching pair of pants made their way onto the platform above. The dark navy short-sleeved jacket rested and chocolate brown spikes lay in mess on the wooden walkway. Slim arms relaxed, hands hung over the edge, legs stuck out from under the short pants before disappearing into shoes. Sora was relieved at the tranquility of the island where he would always run around and hang out with his friends. Little did the young man know what would befall him next.

"Sora..?" A familiar voice paired with blonde spikes floated into Sora's subconscious. Names popped in his head, until he opened his eyes and realized who it was.

"Oh, hey Tidus." Sitting up, soft brown tips messed then reformed, giving the illusion of self-correcting locks. Intense sapphire eyes met ocean blue, an aura of delighted friendship surrounding the two, with a smile on the face of the sitting boy. The one standing straightened up, then turned to look at the beach, seeing an orange-red peak tossing around a blue and white ball, light brown hair curls sitting on the dock, red locks gathering mushrooms.

"What were you doing?" Tidus inquired, puzzlement in the blue orbs of the boy. A yawn replied. He turned his gaze away from those on the beach to glance at his content friend. "Sora?"

"Nothing." Sora shook his head. Another yawn passed his lips before he stood up. He smiled at the other boy, before opening his mouth to ask, "Hey Tidus; know where any extra rope is?"

It had taken Tidus a moment to register what had been said. When he realized, he laughed. "You're something, Sora, you know that?" Smiling broadly, he pointed in the direction of the tree house, which lay opposite of their current location. Sapphire jewels followed the implied path, before turning back. Sora nodded and smiled as a 'thanks' escaped his mouth. Before Tidus was able to murmur a 'you're welcome' the boy was off. Smiling, the blonde turned and went back to practicing his swings, muttering to himself how simpleminded and carefree the brunette lived his life.

Meanwhile, the latter was already halfway to the entrance of the tree house, which was at the top of two curving platforms, connected by ladders. He'd said that he was going to get something after seeing Tidus, right? He wasn't the lying type, so he figured he'd get the first thing that popped in his mind - rope.

After an uneventful retrieval of rope, the brunette made his way to the other half of the island, where Kairi and Riku were sure to be, working on the raft of theirs. Carrying his supplies over his shoulder, he waded through the shallow water, smiling as he saw his friends. It was just like those few years ago, when they had first decided to build the raft so they could discover new worlds… How naïve they must have seemed. They knew the truth now, though it had taken the longest time to get through it all.

But in a way, it was all for the best.

"You got rope? Sora, you idiot, we have plenty."

"It doesn't hurt to have extra, right?"

Even though, they were still pretty much the kids they were back then.

---

The horizon was stained with reds, oranges, yellows, and even a little pink, as the daylight's sun was half set. Light brown spikes stuck out behind the trunk of the curving paopu tree. Leaning against the strong wood of the strangely growing tree, Sora relaxed to the sight of the ever-fading light. It was only time until a contented type of darkness befell the island and everyone would have to head home. It didn't matter though - that would come later. What mattered right now was what was happening right now. The brunette sighed, happily knowing he was at peace.

Unbeknownst to him, a figure lurked behind. Long silver locks shimmered in the dulling sunlight, and aqua blue eyes focused ahead. Riku calmly made his way behind the curious paopu trunk and rested his head on his arms, silently enjoying the sunset near his best friend.

A moment had passed and Sora knew nothing of the presence just around the tree. Aqua orbs shifted their gaze from the warm-colored dusk to glowing chocolate tips. A smile formed on the 16-year-old's lips; that delicate mess of hair ruffled in the sudden breeze.

'It's actually kinda cute,' Riku thought. 'He's always had his hair the same way, ever since he was a kid… He's the only one I know that can pull it off so perfectly…' With each passing thought, the older boy's hand slipped further from him and closer to the curious hairstyle his thoughts were so focused on. Not too long after, Riku was gently caressing a few stray stands of the silken loveliness he had been adoring.

"Hey, what the heck?" Sora turned his head, pulling away what had been a moment's entertainment from Riku's fingers. "Riku?"

"Oh, so you were awake, Sora." A flash of silver and the boy was up and over the tree, standing next to his younger friend, smiling.

Pouting, the brunette retorted, "What's that supposed to mean?" Riku glanced at him, thinking to himself how cute Sora's pout always was as he laughed on the outside.

"Sora, what else would it mean?" Came the teasing response.

"Riku!" Sapphire eyes stared the elder boy down; all the while, Riku couldn't stop adoring that cute face of Sora's… Resisting the temptation to just pull the boy to him, to feel their lips touch, was an amazing feat.

"Yes, Sora?" Riku, once again, teased, turning away to stare at the continually darkening horizon; it made the chore of resisting Sora all the more easier. He heard a small "hmph" on his left, and the ruffling of clothes. He let out a slight chuckle as he glanced over, seeing the pout still on the smaller boy's face as he leaned against the tree, arms folded high over his chest; he looked like a whiny little kid who wasn't getting his way. "Hey. You know your face is gonna stick like that if you keep that up."

"Hmph." Again. He glanced away from his silver-haired companion. Riku's cheerful expression began to fade.

"C'mon Sora, it was a joke. Lighten up." Slowly, he reached out to the brunette, his fingers lightly brushing the other boy's slim arm. After a moment, Sora eased up and faced Riku.

"Was it?" Riku laughed at this remark.

"Of course it was! C'mon Sora, quit being so uptight. Nothing's fun if you act so serious!" Laughter pulsed through the older boy; soon enough, the 15-year-old began to laugh as well.

--

A calm, silent type of darkness encompassed the island. It was near abandoned already, but two figures remained, laying on the now cool beach sand, the water enveloping their heels each time a wave cast itself onto the shore. The stars were, one by one, beginning to peek into the serenely shadowed world. It was almost as if the realm of darkness was finally at peace.

"It's so… calm." Sora's voice seemed to carry itself across the waves.

"Yeah… It's like how it was before…" Riku spoke with a much quieter tone. Gentle sounds were audible as the two boys lay in the calm serenity. After a moment, the older of the two raised himself up, one knee pulled up to provide a place of test for the adjacent arm, while the opposite arm propped the boy up from behind.

"Something up?" Sora inquired, both knees bent as he pulled himself into a sitting position.

"I don't know. There's something that seems out of place…" The silver-haired boy replied, staring off over the water, his expression glazed with grim anticipation. "Sora… Let's get out of here," he said, standing and brushing himself off without blinking. The boy next to him raised himself up as well, worry lining his eyes.

"Riku, what--" Sora suddenly latched onto his friend's left arm, a gasp passing his lips. Riku grabbed the smaller boy's right arm, gripping almost threateningly tight. An eerie sort of fog had suddenly engulfed the island they were on; thick mist concealed near everything in its dull haze. The two boys held their ground, lest they hurt themselves, or lose one another. Riku swept his eyes across all that surrounded him - fog, fog, Sora, fog.

"Wait." Aqua blue jewels locked themselves on a lighter portion amongst the mist. "Sora, look."

"What is it?" He turned his head in the direction his friend was staring. "That… a light?" The fifteen-year-old gazed curiously.

"I don't know, but right now, all I can think of is getting us somewhere other than right here." Riku glanced towards their feet, where the water was still lapping at the soles of their shoes. "Let's go." Keeping a firm hold on Sora, the silver-haired teen guided the both of them towards the source of curiosity.

--

It had taken them a little longer than expected to shift their way through the thick haze, but the two teens were able to make it to where there was shelter - their secret place. Sora rested against the wall while Riku stood and gazed around the small hideaway, wondering how exactly light was streaming outward. His thoughts were interrupted as a loud crash was heard outside the entrance; both boys snapped their attention towards the tunnel. They glanced at one another before setting off to investigate.

"What the hell!" Riku exclaimed as they realized what happened. At the tunnel's opening, a doorway had appeared. It had the appearance of a large boulder, mysteriously snug against the roots and rocks that lined the entrance, but immobile. Sora had attempted to use it as it appeared; testing the knob, he found it to be locked. "Shit… Now how are we supposed to get out of here?" The older of the two brought his hand up to his face, burying half of his face in his palm. "I'm sorry, Sora. I wanted you to stick around with me, and look what happened."

"Riku, c'mon, it's okay, really." Sora smiled. "It's actually a good thing I stayed behind with you. If I hadn't, you'd be stuck alone in this situation by yourself, you know?" Riku turned to his friend, his eyes a little wider than usual. A second passed and his mouth curved up in a soft smile; he nodded and thanked the boy. Just seconds later, there was strange flash of light that came from the alcove. When it dimmed, the pair once again looked at each other strangely, then made their way back in.

"It's… open? But… How?"

"I'm not sure… This is probably the only way out though, so we've no choice but to go through, unless you want to stay here…"

"No… Let's go."

"Sora…"

"Yeah?"

"Don't let go." Riku took Sora's hand in his, interlacing their fingers and keeping a firm grip. Riku couldn't lose the younger boy; not again.

Sora glanced at their hands before looking back into the mysterious aqua eyes of his friend.

He smiled.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed it. 

Reviews are really appreciated : What did you like? What do you think I could improve on? Questions, comments?  
I'd love your opinions; let me know if you want more!

- Lament


	2. That Glimmer in Your Eyes

-Kingdom Hearts 2  
These Chains That Bond Us  
- Lament

* * *

**Author's Notes**: I'm sorry this took so long to get up. My internet went down for a majority of my summer. I'm still in the middle of chapter 3 (sorry again), but hopefully we'll see it in the not-too-distant future. 

**Chapter Two Summary**: New places, new people... Sora and Riku must rely on each other and their new friend in order to get used to their new environment. Meanwhile, Kairi's lamenting over the loss of her dearest friends and decides to investigate the mysterious fog about Destiny Island...

**Disclaimer**: Kingdom Hearts 2 does not belong to me; it is the property of Square Enix/Disney Interactive/Buena Vista Games.

* * *

- Chapter Two : That Glimmer in Your Eyes - 

The waves sifted through the grains of sun-warmed sand. It lapped at pebbles, splashed over rocks. Things seemed alright on the large island the children - who were not quite children anymore - of Destiny Islands called home. Yet there was something astray, as would be thought every time things seemed eerily content.

A girl in her school uniform - blue plaid skirt, white button-up tee, matching blue plaid tie, black knee-high socks, and simple black shoes - took a step back in disbelief, a gasp passing her lips. "What's going on…?" She muttered, shock lining her voice.

"I don't know, Selphie…" Her companion answered; red-haired Kairi stood where the waves met the shore, staring at the source of their distress. She too wore her school uniform, exact to Selphie's - minus minor size differences. Bookbags were abandoned to the side in their prior rush to the beach at the sight of their beloved island playground.

"Guys…" A familiar voice drifted towards them. The girls turned; Tidus and Wakka, wearing the boys' school uniform, stood nearby. The former had a vexed look glazed over his face.

"You know something, Tidus?" Kairi dared to ask after a moment of awkward silence, her voice broken.

"No, nothing about what happened to the island…" He replied, staring at the shroud of mist across the water. "But… I heard that Sora and Riku apparently never came home last night… Wonder what happened?"

"Wh-what?" The redhead was perplexed. If they hadn't come back yesterday, where would they be? They couldn't… "They're not still on the island, are they!" She exclaimed, causing her friends to take a step back from her.

"Are you o-okay?" Selphie questioned timidly as she tapped Kairi on the shoulder. The other girl spun on her heel, throwing a cold glance in the brunette's direction before rushing off to the docks; either to check if all the boats were there, or something more spontaneous.

"Kairi!" Her friends called in unison after recovering from the outburst. Noticing that she wasn't even acknowledging their calls, they looked at one another nervously. Tidus was the first to drop his bag and run after.

"Kairi, what are you doing!" The blonde boy exclaimed once he had caught up to her; gripping her arm, he was determined to hold her back.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I have to go find my friends, Tidus! If you had the smallest bit of empathy for them, you'd join me!" The girl snapped back, trying to pull away. "Now, please, let me go!"

"You've got to no be so impulsive. They'll be fine. We'll go search for them once the fog clears, ya?" Wakka attempted to calm and otherwise convince her once he had caught up.

"Please don't go!" Selphie shouted, plain and simple.

'You guys don't care if they're hurt, do you!" Kairi continued to argue, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"Kairi." Tidus spoke firmly, his voice taking a serious tone that caused the three others to stop and turn all attention to him. "Listen to me. Those two are my best friends too, so obviously I'd care for them. A lot, in fact. But we can't immediately assume the worst - besides, what if you got hurt over there? Then what? We can't just keep sending people over without a sense of safety, and a stupidity to what may be lurking over there. Sora and Riku have gone through a ton, way more than you ended up with; they'll be fine. Let's just not worry too much until the fog clears, then we'll go look for them like Wakka said, okay? C'mon Kairi, listen to your common sense."

Tidus' speech was astounding, leaving his friends breathless and taken by his words. Selphie stepped forward to place her hand upon the blonde's, gently urging him to step back. He nodded and freed the redhead from his grasp; Selphie took his place and spoke softly to her friend.

"Tidus is right… They'll be okay, and you'll be okay… Come on Kairi… Let's go…" The brunette pulled at the taller girl's arm. A moment passed; Kairi finally nodded and returned inland with the others, but solemnly hung her head the rest of the morning and well into the afternoon.

--

A light. Glimmering, pure light. It bathed a boy and his best friend in its innocence. The intensity had pained their eyes at first, but by now they were fine, slowly trying to find their way through the infinite emptiness. Where had they begun? Where would they end? It seemed as though hours had passed before they had stopped. They were pausing to think when suddenly the light that surrounded them slowly began to fade. The boys clung to each other for fear of separation, before the light returned in tenfold, stealing consciousness from their bodies.

The younger boy was first to stir. Slowly, sapphire eyes eased themselves open, eyelids fluttering while his pupils adjusted to the light in the room. His eyes scanned what he could see from the spot where he lay; it wasn't much, but very unknown to him. He raise his right arm rest in front of him to brush chocolate bangs from his face. After a slight yawn, showing that sleep still riddled him, he attempted to sit up when he noticed a weight across his torso.

"Huh?" The boy brushed his fingers along the curious surface, realizing his fingertips met skin. He traced along the edge of what he found to be an arm, up to the sleeve, and finally looking up to the face. A deep crimson red came to his normally pale face at the recognition of the person.

"Riku…" He barely breathed out. At the slight noise, his companion barely stirred. The brunette held his breath for just a moment before the silver-haired teen returned to his serene slumber. Cautiously, the former barely raised Riku's arm and slid off the bed, careful not to crush himself into the wall that was there. Replacing the other boy's arm on the bed, he was finally able to peer about the room properly.

Plain wooden walls, a windowsill seat, plain white curtains, small mirror resting on a lonely desk, two chairs, all set in a cozy space, upon a soft tan colored carpet; it appeared like a room at an inn. Another yawn escaped the brunette when he spotted two doors. Peeking in the closer one, he found a plain white-tiled bathroom with a close. There was a toilet, sink, and shower; white towels were hanging off a towel rack adjacent to the toilet. The boy used the toilet fairly quickly, and left after washing his hands. Checking the other door, he was greeted by a young girl, fist raised as if to knock.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She spoke quickly, cheeks slight tinged pink. She bowed deeply before continuing. "I'm Aya Chiosu. I'm the maid for this hall. May I come in?" The boy looked her up and down. She was wearing a simple black dress, lined with dozens of petticoats (or so it appeared). Her white apron was lined with lace, as were the ends of her sleeves, which began in cute little puffs. Her black hair was tied back in a high ponytail, a delicate-looking headband of white lace held back any short locks; black roses adorned the left half. She also wore white gloves with matching black roses. Plain white stockings disappeared into simple black shoes with little ribbons of more lace. Her eyes were a shiny grey, glimmering in the pale sunlight about the room.

"Uh, yes, of course…" The boy stepped aside. "I'm-"

"Sora, I know."

The brunette appeared dumbfounded and at a lost for words. "How…?" She nodded her head towards the bed before she strode towards the bathroom. Sora turned, staring at Riku's sleeping form.

--

The night was quiet, like many nights before. But it was different this night. An emptiness lined the redhead's heart. She felt… incomplete. The warm smiles that attempted to comfort her were familiar, but not right. Images faded in and out of her mind.

_'Hey Kairi! Want to go swimming?'_

_'Kairi! Come watch me and Riku race!'_

_'Let's go work on the raft, Kairi!'_

_'Isn't it awesome being friends?'_

_'I'm so happy we're all together again!'_

The girl cuddled her legs into her chest, her chin resting upon her knees. A tear rolled down her cheek painfully. It had only been a day, of course… But she couldn't remember a time when she wasn't with either of the two boys other than when they had been off on their adventures for a couple of years. But they had just gotten back - actually, truly returned, only to disappear with rising mist. The tears freely fell from her eyes and she sobbed into her arms.

Moments later, her crying subsided mostly, though her face was still sticky from the saline. Standing up, she was determined to find her lost friends. Gathering herself together, she advanced on the floating boats on the docks. Setting loose her own, she rowed out, not caring whether or not she would get hurt.

As soon as she reached the dock on the opposite island, she realized how thick the fog was. The redhead set herself upon the sands, when the haze seemed to envelop her entire being. At first, she shrugged it off and trudged through, shouting out Sora and Riku's names. But the deeper she walked in, the harder it was to hear her voice echoing. Kairi was becoming a bit unnerved.

"S-Sora… R-Riku…" She stammered, now creeping very slowly across the beach. "S-Sor-" The fog was beginning to act extremely strange. It cleared about her in a wide circle, as if creating a ring just for her. Then figures began forming from the mist; dancer-like forms pranced eloquently about her, crisscrossing paths, more and more. They were crowding closer and closer, inviting her to waltz with them, mysteriously enrapturing her. But her circle was becoming smaller; the air was becoming thick, harder to breath, her vision was clouding.

Kairi fell to the ground; unconscious before her body came to rest upon the sands.

--

"Sora, you were still out cold when we ended up here," Riku explained. The silver-haired boy was sitting up in the bed, the blankets splayed across his legs. He scratched at his head, his hair flung about before he ran his fingers through to smooth the locks back out.

"So… Where are we exactly?" His brunette companion inquired, settled at the foot of the bed, hugging his knees.

"I don't know. I fell asleep soon after telling Aya our names." At the very moment, the girl appeared in the doorframe of the bathroom.

"You're in the village of dreams, Magical Twilight," She elucidated, a sparkle in her eye at the response. "It really is mystical."

"Magical… Twilight?" Sora was dumbfounded yet again, this time his gaze locked on the raven-haired maid.

"Yes. It's a wonderful story, actually."

"Do tell." Riku turned to her as well, as interested as his best friend.

"Well… Alright. When the founders of this village passed the hills and discovered this valley, they found the land to be fertile enough to harvest and make a living on. So they began to build their homes. And the very night they discovered this valley, an amazing phenomenon occurred - a meteor shower passed just over their heads. They didn't know what a meteor shower was at the time, though, so they decided it to called it "Magical Twilight" because they thought it was a giant spell cast in the night sky. Then, after a year, this village still had no name. People thought it had been a very long time to decide on a name. So, a village meeting was called. Everyone discussed the matter, but no one name could be agreed on. But as darkness began to fall, the spectacular phenomenon appeared in the sky again, on the opposite side of the sky in the opposite direction. Since then, the town has been named after this phenomenon that is best viewed here, in this town, every year."

"Wow…" Sora's face was lined with awe, staring out the window. "Say, when was the last time you saw the meteor shower?"

"Oh, I'd say it passed just half a month ago."

"So in other words we just missed it," Riku muttered, disappointment in his voice. The silver-haired teen looked slightly discouraged, hanging his head. Sora noticed and tried to cheer him up.

"Aw, Riku, don't be so glum. It's yearly, so it's not like it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, right?" The brunette smiled, showing a little excitement. The older boy glanced up, aqua jewels meeting sapphires; it was as if the cheerfulness Sora had was contagious. His lips formed a smile and he nodded in agreement.

Aya smiled as well, before glancing at a dull silver pocket watch that hung from her apron. "I'd love to stay and converse more with you, but I must be completing the rest of my duties now." She curtsied, bowing her head, and politely left, shutting the door slowly on her way out.

They sat in silence for a while, taking a moment to register what had just happened. Sora then turned his head to stare blankly out the window.

"It's so… different. But kinda like Traverse Town."

"With less hustle and bustle."

"Say, Riku... You promise you won't up and leave me to fend for myself, right?"

"Sora, you know I'd never let you go alone in a new world... Not ever again. Best friends forever, remember?" A smile and warm expression lined the older teen's face. His younger friend took a moment to soak in the given response, then gave a small chuckle.

"How could I be so stupid." He returned the smile, and placed a hand upon the slim, yet powerful arm of the silver-hair boy. Riku glanced at the placement, then gazed into Sora's shining eyes. A moment passed, and a strong hand wrapped itself around the smaller one, holding on as if for dear life. Slowly, the older one brought their entwined hands to his cheek, eyes shut as he savored the moment.

"Sora... As long as you promise that we'll always be together, always be best friends..." His words drifted as he rested his cheek on his friend's hand, silver locks cascading over his shoulders.

"Riku, even if we tried, nothing could ever really pull us apart. You're always gonna be my best friend, and I'm always gonna be yours. We'll always be there for each other!" An almost naive happiness lined his voice, as if ignoring the fact his hand was captive between Riku's hand and cheek; Riku could feel a pure smile centered on him. Slowly, he opened his eyes to once again meet with those sapphire jewels he adored; the sunrise flashed through their eyes at an oddly perfect moment.

"It's amazing."

"What?"

"That glimmer in your eyes..."


End file.
